Method and apparatus for delivering articles to and picking articles up from ships



July 22, 1941. R, C u PQNT, 2,249,752

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING ARTICLES TO .AND PICKING ARTICLES UPFROM SHIPS Filed July 8.. 1939 if INVENTQR 4- ATTORNEY Patented July 22,1941 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING ARTICLES TO AND PICKINGARTICLES UP FROM SHIPS Richard C. du Pont, Wilmington, Del.

Application July 8, 1939, Serial No. 283,446

7 Claims. (Cl. 244137) This invention relates to an improved method andapparatus for delivering articles to and picking articles up from ships,and is adapted for use when the vessel is at sea.

In picking up articles from a ship at sea, or in delivering articles toa ship at sea, and particularly doing it by aircraft, it is desirablethat the aircraft be able to effect such a transfer without passingdirectly over the ship or without coming in close proximity thereto, dueto the peculiar convection currents set up around a vessel.

It is also desirable that any system for delivering articles to orpicking articles up from a vessel while at sea, be of such a nature thatit is possible to effect the transfer without affecting the movement ofthe vessel.

It is further desirable that such a system and apparatus be one which ischeap in construction and serviceable under varying conditions.

The present invention meets all of the requirements for such a transferand does it with a mechanism which is simple in construction,

comprises parts which are readily available and does it in such a manneras to present the minimum risk both to the pilot of the aircraft and tothe pilot'of the craft on the water.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following particular description and from an inspection of theaccompanying drawing.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthis invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appendedhereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and themanner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood byreferring to the following description taken in connection with the'accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus for effecting a transferof articles from an aircraft to a ship at sea;

, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus for effecting adelivery of articles from a ship to'an aircraft, and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus adapted to effect eithera transfer of articles from or delivery of articles to a ship at sea ora simultaneous operation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout thevarious views of the drawing andthe specification. Y

The system of effecting delivery to a vessel while at sea comprisesgenerally trailing a line from a point adjacent the stern of a vesseland.

at such an altitude that its other end will not reach the water for aconsiderable distance from the vessel. The other end of the line whichis not attached to the boat is preferably attached to a sea anchor whichtends to hold the line taut. It may thus be seen that if the end whichis attached to the boat or to a mast on the boat is at an elevation offifty to seventy-fivefeet there will be a considerable distance betweenthe boat and the sea anchor where there will be sufficient space betweenthe line and the water to enable a line with a burden attached theretoto come in contact with the line trailed from the boat without danger ofthe burden striking the water.

In such a system, the aircraft with a line trailing therefrom having aburden attached thereto is operated so that the line trailing from theplane is brought in contact with'the line trailing from the boat so thatthe burden is between the line trailing from the boat and the water. Theline to which the burden is attached may be connected directly to arelease in the aircraft or it may be attached by means of a frangibleconnection to a line which depends from the aircraft.

Thus, when the aircraft is fiown so that the line depending therefromcomes in contact with theline trailed from the boat, the line dependingfrom the aircraft with the burden thereon will be left deposited on theline trailed from the boat.

When it is desired to effect a transfer of articles from a boat to anaircraft, a line may be affixed to the boat or a mast at the stern ofthe boat. A pick-up and delivery line with a burden suspended thereonmay be releasably connected to said first line. .The means connectingthe two lines may be of such a type that it will break when apredetermined amount of pressure is applied thereto. To the other end ofthe pick-up and delivery line may be attached as by a similar frangibleconnection a further line which in turn is attached to a sea anchorwhich trails in the water. It will thus be seen that the suspending linetogether with the burden delivery line will be held taut in spacedrelation to the water over I the lower end thereof is flown, preferablyat substantially right angles to the line trailing from the vessel, insuch a manner that the grapple comes between the suspending line and thewater at a point intermediary of the two breaking connections. Thus, asthe transferring line strikes the pick-up and delivery line, the pick-upand delivery line with the burden attached thereto is broken loose fromthe suspending line and the article is thus transferred to the linetrailing from the plane which upon being pulled into the aircraftcompletes the transfer.

It is obvious that either of these two operations might be performedindependently, but it may be desirable to, upon occasion, perform thoseoperations at or about the same time. For this purpose two lines, oneabove the other at a desired distance and connected to desirable pointson the boat may be provided. The aircraft in such case is provided witha burden transfer line,

at the lower end of which is attached a grapple and below which isconnected by a frangible connection a delivery line. I The aircraft isthen maneuvered in such a manner that the grapple passes below the upperor delivery line, on which the burden to be transferred to the aircraftis suspended, and above the fixed line on which the burden to bedelivered is to be suspended. As

the grapple and transfer line come in contact with the burden pick-upand delivery line on which the burden to be transferred to the plane issuspended, the line connected thereto by a frangible connection willcome in contact with the permanent fixed line trailing from the stern ofthe boat. The pick-up and delivery line with the burden which is to betransferred to the boat will be pulled loose from the grapple and leftsuspended on the delivery line trailing from the boat, and thus theburden previously carried by the plane will be suspended on the linetrailing from the boat, and the burden previously carried by the boatwill be attached to the line suspended from the plane. It is obviousthat by winding in either or both of these lines the respective burdensmay thus be transferred to the new carrier.

In Fig. 1 is shown an embodiment of the invention wherein the apparatusis provided for receiving an article to be transferred from an airplaneto a boat. In this figure, a boat I has a mast or other point ofelevation 2, to which a receiving line 4 running to a sea anchor 3,-isat tached. The sea anchor 3 is adapted to be trailed in the water 5.

An aircraft 6 has trailing therefrom a transfer line I with a ringmember ID adjacent its lower end into which a breaking link H attachedto a pick-up and delivery line 8 is releasably fastened. The pick-up anddelivery line 8 may have weights or knots l2 thereon. In addition aburden 9 may be secured to the pick-up and delivery line 8 as by asliding frictional contact l3.

In operation the aircraft 6 is flown at such a eight above the waterthat the burden 9 does not come in contact therewith and yet passesbetween the stern of the vessel or point of attachment 2, the sea anchor3 and the receiving line 4. Thus, the delivery line 8 will come incontact with the receiving line 4. When this occurs, the delivery linewill be broken loose from the member ID and will be secured to thereceiving line 4 due to the tendency of the delivery line 8 to windaround the receiving line 4 because of its inertia which is transformedinto rotary movement.

In Fig. 2 is shown a boat with a mast or.

- pension line 24.

other elevated point adjacent the stern thereof to which a hoist line 23may be attached. A pick-up and delivery line 28 having breaking links 3!on either end thereof is connected at one end by one of the breakinglinks 3| to a connector member 21 on the hoist line 23.

The pick-up and delivery line 28 is connected at its other end by abreaking link 3| to a connector member 21 on a suspending line 24 whichis attached at its other end to a sea anchor 22. A check line 25 may be.connected at each end to the connector members 21. Weights 26 may beprovided on the check line 25 so as to cause it to hang straight downfrom the points of attachment and keep it clear of the space directlybelow the pick-up and delivery line 28.

A burden container 29 may be connected to the pick-up and delivery lineas by the slidng frictional member 30. The pick-up and delivery line 28may have adjacent either end thereof a plurality of knots or weights 32which prevent the member 30 from sliding off the pick-up and deliveryline 28.

An aircraft 35 having a transfer line 33 suspended therefrom with agrapple 34 adjacent its lower end completes the equipment for thistransfer mechanism.

In operation, the suspending line 24 is attached at one end to the seaanchor 22 and at the other end to the check line 25 and pick-up anddelivery line 28. The other end of the pick-up and delivery line 28 isattached to the hoist line 23 as by the member 21 and breaking link 3|.The check line 25 is also connected to the connector member 21. Thehoist line 23 is then elevated on the mast or other elevated point 2| onthe boat 20 and the sea anchor 22 dropped over into the water so that itholds the suspending line 24 with the pick-up and delivery line andhoist line out taut.

In order to transfer the pick-up and delivery line 28 with the burden 29attached thereto from the boat to the aircraft, the aircraft is flownpreferably at right angles to the hoist line 23 and suspending line 24with the grapple below the pick-up and delivery line 28 and above thewater 36. Thus, as the flight path of the plane crosses at right anglesto the path of the boat, the transfer line 33 on the plane will come incontact with the pick-up and delivery line 28 suspended between thehoist line 23 and the sus- When this occurs, the pick-up and deliveryline 28 which ,has at both ends breaking links 3| will be broken loosefrom the hoist line 23 and the suspended line 24 and will ultimately, asit slides down the transfer line, be grasped by the grapple 34. Tocomplete the transfer to the aircraft 35 the transfer line 34 with thepick-up and delivery line 28 and burden 29 now attached thereto ispulled into the plane.

When the pick-up and delivery line 28 is removed from between the hoistline 23 and the suspending, line 24, it is obvious the suspending line24 and the sea anchor 22 would be lost unless the check line 25 betweenthe two were there. The check line 25 must be held so that it is asubstantial distance below the pick-up and delivery line in order toafford the maximum room for the grapple 34 to come between the pick-upand delivery .line 28 and the water 38 thus allowing for any error onthe part of the pilot in making the pick-up.

A boat may have a mast or other point at a substantially elevatedposition adjacent the stern as at 52. To this may be attached areceiving line 54 adapted to trail out behind the boat and be held thereby a sea anchor 53 which rides in the water 55. At another point 63,preferably higher than the point 52 may be suspended a hoist line 64.One end II of this line is adapted to pass over a pulley 69 and hasattached thereto a weight 13 which will cause the line to come back downto the deck or other point on the boat. The weight I3 may have a ring 14therein into which a breaking link 15 on the end of a pickup anddelivery line 58 may be inserted. The

' other end of the pick-up and delivery line 58 may have anotherbreaking link 15 which is adapted to be connected into a ring 14 in theend of a suspension line 16 the other end of which is attached to thesea anchor 53.

Attached to the pick-up and delivery line 58 as by a sliding restrictingmember 18 is a burden 59 which is to be transferred to an aircraft l0.Adjacent both ends of the pick-up and delivery line 58 may be providedweights or knots 62 which serve a dual purpose of preventing the slidingfitting 18 from running past the end of the pick-up and delivery line 58and also aid in the delivery of this line to a receiving line.

An aircraft has a transferring line 56 suspended therefrom with agrapple 60 at the lower end thereof. Below the grapple is a link 6| intowhich a breaking link 66 on a pick-up and delivery line 68 may beinserted. The burden 61 to be delivered to the vessel is suspended fromthe pick-up and delivery line 68 by a sliding restricting fitting 65.

When it is desired ery or both, the receiving line 54 is attached to thesea anchor 53.

The pick-up and delivery line 58 with the burden 59 connected thereto isthen connected to the hoist line 64 by the frangible connection andrings 14.

The other end of the pick-up and delivery line 58 is connected to asuspending line 16 as by the frangible link 15 and ring I4 and thesuspending line 16 in turn is attached to the sea anchor 53.

The sea anchor with the two lines connected thereto is then put over thestern of the vessel and allowed to trail astern thus pulling the twolines out with space therebetween over substantially their. entirelength.

A transfer line 56 is then let down from the aircraft In with' a grapple68 at the end thereof having a link 6| to which a frangible line 66 on adelivery line which acts both as a pick-up and delivery line 58 isconnected and the burden 61 is suspended on the pick-up and deliveryline 58 by the sliding frictional member 65. The pick-up and deliveryline 58 may also have weights or knots 62 and at the opposite end fromthe grapple 60 may have another breaking link 6|.

The aircraft is then flown at substantially right angles to the path ofthe vessel and to the stern thereof at such an altitude that the grapple60 will come above the receiving line 54 and below the pick-up anddelivery line 58. The pick-up and delivery line 58 is of such a lengththat the burden 61 which is adjacent its lower end will come below thereceiving line 54. As the transfer line 56 comes in contact with thepick-up and delivery line 68, the pick-up and delivery line 68 will bebroken loose from the hoist line 64 and the suspending line 16 andbecome attached'to the transfer line 56 and the grapple 60. At about thesame time this occurs. the pick-up and delivery line 68 will be brokenloose from the grapple and the link 6| thereon and due to the to make apick-up or delivinertia of the weight 62 it will become attached to thereceiving line 54.

Thus, the burden 59 which was previously suspended by the hoist line 64and the suspending line 16 will have been transferred to thetransferring line 56 and the burden 61 which was suspended from thetransfer line 56 'will be deposited upon the receiving line 54. By thenpulling in the transfer line 56 and the receiving line 54, the twoburdens will have been completely transferred from the aircraft to theboat and from the boat to the aircraft respectively; 7

Thus, by an efficient, yet simple construction, this invention makes itpossible to make delivery to a boat,,to effect delivery from a boat toan aircraft and to perform the two operations substantiallysimultaneously if desired. I

' The apparatus necessary for the transfer is not complicated andaffords a maximum of safety to the operator of the aircraft and alsoassures maximum efficiency in effecting the transfer.

The materials for making these various mechanisms are readily availableand the cost of the apparatus is well within the limits justified by theresults obtained.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of thefeatures shown and described, or portions thereof, but it is recognizedthat various modifications are possible within the scope of theinvention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for transferring articles from a boat to an aircraft andfrom an aircraft to a boat comprising a boat, a plurality of masts, a

sea anchor, a first line running from one of said masts to said seaanchor, a second line attached to another of said masts and runningtherefrom from a point above said first line, a pick-up and deliveryline detachably connected at one end to said second line, a suspendingline connected to said sea anchor at one end and detachably coni nectedto said pick-up and delivery line at its other end, an article containerfrictionally connected to said pick-up and delivery line, and anaircraft, an article transfer line suspended therefrom, a grapple on thelower end of said article transfer line and a pick-up and delivery linewith an article container releasably connected thereto.

2. An apparatus for transferring articles from a boat to an aircraftboat comprising a boat, a plurality of masts, a sea anchor, a first linerimning from one of said masts to said sea anchor, a second lineattached to another of said masts and running therefrom from a pointabove said first line, a pick-up and delivery line detachably connectedat one end to said second line, a suspending line connected to said seaanchor at one end and detachably connected to said pick-up and deliveryline at its seav anchor, a first line running from one of said masts tosaid sea anchor, a second line attached to another of said masts andrunning therefromfrom a point above said first line, a pick-up and andfroin an aircraft to a W delivery line detachably connected at one endto said second line, a suspending line connected to said sea anchor atone end and detachably connected to said pick-up and delivery line atits other end, and an article container frictionally connected to saidpick-up and delivery line, an aircraft, an article transfer linesuspended therefrom, a grapple on the lower end of said article transferline and a pick-up and delivery line releasably connected thereto.

4. Apparatus for transferring a burden from a boat to an aircraftcomprising a boat, a hoist line, a sea anchor, a suspending lineattached at one end to said sea anchor, a pick-up and delivery linereleasably connected at one end to said hoist line and at its other endto said suspending line, a burden container, a member connecting saidburden container to said pick-up and delivlng resistance to movementupon said pick-up and delivery line, a check line connected at one endto said hoist line and at its other end to said suspending line, anaircraft, a transfer line suspended from said aircraft, a member on saidtransfer line adapted to retain said pick-up and delivery line.

6. Apparatus for transferring a burden from a boat to an aircraftcomprising a boat, a hoist line, a sea anchor, a suspending lineattached at one end to said sea anchor, a pick-up and delivery linereleasably connected at one end to said hoist line and at its other endto said suspending line, a burden container, a member conery line, saidmember adapted to exert a. varying resistance to movement upon saidpick-up and delivery line, an aircraft, a transfer line suspended fromsaid aircraft, a member on said transfer line adapted to retain saidpick-up and delivery line. v

5. Apparatus for transferring a burden from a boat to an aircraftcomprising a boat, a hoist line, a sea anchor, a suspending lineattached at one end to said sea anchor, a pick-up and delivery linereleasably connected at one end to said hoist line and at its other endto said suspending line, a burden container, a member connecting saidburden container to said pick-up and delivery line, said member adaptedto exert a varynecting said burden container to said pick-up anddelivery line, an aircraft, a transfer line suspended from saidaircraft, and a member on said transfer line adapted to retain saidpick-up and delivery line. 7

'7. Apparatus for transferring articles to a boat from an aircraft andfrom a boat to an aircraft comprising in combination a boat, a pluralityof masts, a sea anchor, a first line connected at one end to one of saidmasts and at its other end to said sea anchor, a second line attached atone end to another of said masts at a point above the point ofattachment of said first line, a pick-up and delivery line detachablyconnected at one end to the other end of said second line, and asuspending line connected to said sea anchor at one end and detachablyconnected to said pick-up and delivery line at its other end.

RICHARD C. no PONT.

